 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2023) |
| Part of a series on |
| Socialism |
|---|
 |
| Part of a series on |
| Utopias |
|---|
 |
| Mythical and religious |
| Literature |
| Theory |
| Concepts |
| Practice |
|
Utopian socialism is the term often used to describe the first current of modern socialism and socialist thought as exemplified by the work of Henri de Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, Étienne Cabet, and Robert Owen.[1] Utopian socialism is often described as the presentation of visions and outlines for imaginary or futuristic ideal societies, with positive ideals being the main reason for moving society in such a direction. Later socialists and critics of utopian socialism viewed utopian socialism as not being grounded in actual material conditions of existing society. These visions of ideal societies competed with revolutionary and social democratic movements.[2]
The term utopian socialism is most often applied to those socialists who lived in the first quarter of the 19th century by later socialists as a pejorative in order to dismiss their ideas as fanciful and unrealistic.[3] A similar school of thought that emerged in the early 20th century which makes the case for socialism on moral grounds is ethical socialism.[4]
Those anarchists and Marxists who dismissed utopian socialism did so because utopian socialists generally did not believe any form of class struggle or social revolution was necessary for socialism to emerge. Utopian socialists believed that people of all classes could voluntarily adopt their plan for society if it was presented convincingly.[2] Cooperative socialism could be established among like-minded people in small communities that would demonstrate the feasibility of their plan for the broader society.[2] Because of this tendency, utopian socialism was also related to classical radicalism, a left-wing liberal ideology.[5]
- ^ "Utopian socialism". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
- ^ a b c Draper, Hal (1990). Karl Marx's Theory of Revolution, Volume IV: Critique of Other Socialisms. New York: Monthly Review Press. pp. 1–21. ISBN 978-0853457985.
- ^ Newman, Michael. (2005) Socialism: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-280431-6.
- ^ Thompson, Noel W. (2006). Political Economy and the Labour Party: The Economics of Democratic Socialism, 1884–2005 (2nd ed.). Abingdon, England: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-32880-7.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
radicalwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).